Automatic circular loom



March 23 .1926.

. 1.. BRUNO ,516

AUTOMATIC C IRGULAR LOOM d May 14. 1923 '7 'sh t -sh t l FEW L. BRUNO AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR LOOM 'March 23 1926,

March 23 1926.

L. BRUNO AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR LOOM Filed May 14, 192:

'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 /S,

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I llllllllllIHHIIIIHIIIHIIlllHllW IIIHH IIIII II IIIIH L. BRUNO AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR LOOM Filed May 14, 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 March .23 1926.

. 1,577,516 L. BRUNO' AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR LOOM Filed May 14, 1923 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 F1919 Patented Mar. 25:5, 192%..

1,577,516 Persist Fries,

LUIGI BRUNO; OF TURIN, ITALY.

AUTOMATIG C2IRCULAB IJO OM.

To all w /1 071m may 0071 oer n Be it known that I, Borer BRUNO, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at- Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Auton'iatic- Gircular Looms; andI do hereby declare the following to beam full, clear, and-exact description of the invention; such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same reference being had to the accom panying'drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

'lhis-invcntionrelates to auton'iatic circular looms for the manufacture of all classes of fabrics in which the weft threads are wound upon flat bobbins and from the inside of 'which the thread unwinds; These are contained in shuttles arranged radially in; two planes and so' controlled as to'allow ofvery rapid-weaving even when threads of different colours are used.

Another feature of this invention is: a guide for the weft threads which allows them to be led radially ahnost up tothe Weaving point;

Another improvement is anelectrdmagnetic device for automatically stopping the machine if a thread breaks: Themovements of the shuttles are also electro-ma'gnetically controlled in place of the" usual mechanical means,

The looinwhichformsthe subject of the present invention has numerous advantages as it may be used for the weaving-of plain and fancy fabrics and of both thread and metal materials since very thin wires may be used owing to the negligible strains to wliielithey are subjectech g The loom may be employed for the manu facture of sacks which owing to the tubular shape of the fabric would only have" to-he sewn at the mid, and alswfor the manuia'c' ture othose and other pipes. v

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic partial section showing one method of carrying out the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view.

Figures 3 and 1 show on awlarger scale the mechanisnrfor controlling the shuttles in the loom shown in Figures 1 and Figure fishowsa shuttle boxin per-spew tive'.

Figure 6 shows the hank contained in the shuttle.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the safety" device for automatically stopping: the machine wnen the warp thread breaks:

Figure 8 is a plan viewof the flanged joint between the drive and the arrange ment for advancing thetabriC. I

Figure Sis-a section showing the outlet of the electric wires fr0m= the'fixed pivotz Figure '10 shows diagrammatically in 1 sec tion" a second method J of construction of the loom.

Figure 11' is'a plan=view of Figure 10.

Figure '12 is a section showing: the ar'' rangement for controlling the shuttles.

Figure 18 is a planet the arrangement showndn Figure 12;

Figure 14 shows the mechanism= for re taining the shuttles;

Figure 15 isua section of thebatten:

Figure 16 shows a modification of this arrangement;

Figure 17- is aside View of the comb.

Figure 18 shows an electro-magnetic ar= rangement for retaining the shuttles;

Figs- 19' and 20 show on an enlarged scale the operating means of the warp CZLLHGIS.

Refer-ringto Fig. 1, 1 isa hollow vertical journal supported at the topand provided with platform 2 upon which is mounted an annular box 3 containing a' series* of mechanisms- 4 which move the shuttles- 5 from their position and place thenid-n sim ilar mechanisms- (3arrangedin*a-corre's1t)ond ing annular box 7* siu'iportedzby adjustable uprights 8; V

Upon the ournal 1 is mounted a member 9 free to'rotate upon-it andprovidedwvith an arm 11 carrying thread guides 12 fed from theloobbins 10;

The rotating member 9 by means of the gear wheels-let; 14 ,14, 141 dri\ 'es-a= vertical shaft whose lower end is' screw thread ed causing the lowerin ofa circular feeder- 16. The fabric 1S(lliii\\'11'()il 151(3111il10 fabric supporting tube by the feeder 16 for a certain distanceaftei which it is'released and carried away upon the usual system of rollers. V

At the start the moven'iei'it of the feeder may be effected byhand.-

The supporting arms 11 are provided with teeth 1 acting upon the rollers 32 of the mechanisms 4-, 6, and causing the or;- change of the shuttles between the boxes 3, 7, directly after the passage of the sup port 11. on the rotating member 9.

The shuttles may be arranged in one or more series. Figure 2 shows them in two series. Each mechanism actuating the shuttles has a drive and return roller actuated at different times by the teeth 13.

The teeth 13 are removable from the arms 11 and may be placed therein in any one of a number of vertical arranged positions corresponding to the particular series of shuttles to be operated to cross the weft thread. All the shuttles may cross the weft, but only certain selected shuttles may do so at given intervals.

By adjusting the position of the teeth 13 upon the supports 11 the successive move ments of the shuttles may be altered and fancy fabrics and various colours of fabrics obtained.

Figures 3 and l show in detail tire mechanism for controlling the shuttles. Such mechanism consists of lazy tongs, that is a system of parallelograms 21 guided by a support 22 to which the first parallelogram is pivoted at 23. The second is pivoted at 2+t upon a movable support 25 provided with a rod 26 projecting through the box 7 and ending in a fork 27 upon which is mounted the shuttle 5 retained in position by the spring teeth 28 fixed to the annular box 7 and engaging with lugs 5.

The parallelogram system 21 is operated by means of a sliding frame 29 connected to it by rods 30 and actuated by a beam 31 whose opposite end (Figure 4t) carries a main roller 32 and a return roller 33 mounted upon the arm 3% pivoted to the beam 31 and guided by a surface 35.

The apparatus ,works as follows:

As above mentioned the support 11. carries besides the thread guide 12 a tooth 13 mounted upon the prolongation 11 at such a height that it is in the plane of the rollers 32, 32, 32, 32'. corresponding to the four tiers of the shuttles. In the example shown the four tiers are divided into three series, the mid series having double the number of shuttles of those contained in the other two series.

When the tooth 13 encounters a roller it lowers it so causing the opposite end of the beam 31, to be raised and thus actuating the parallelogram system which raises the/fork 2'? with the shuttle 5 (against the action of the spring teeth 28) and passes it to the fork 27 of the corresponding mechanism contained in the box The tooth 13 is followed by a similar one 13 which acts upon the return rollers 33 (all arranged in the same plane) causing the return of thirst. beams ihat have displaced by the tooth 13.

The parallelogram s stcm its original position leaving the shuttle 0 upon the fork 2? engaged by the spring teeth 28.

A continuous exchange of shuttles then takes place between the upper and lower mechanism causing the threads of the shutties (the end of the threads having been lurevitmsly llXCtl to the fabric fcedcr 1(2) forcing the warp to cross those from the bobbins 10 (carried by the thread guides 12) forming the weft.

The movable supports may be suitably provided with rods 26 each of which canries a fork 27. In this case the shuttles are lifted in groups, but the lifting of any nuns ber oi. shuttles may be prevented by frictionally connecting each rod with the sup port and providing it with a stop 26 engaging with control stops as in a Jacquard i'nechanisn'i.

Figures 5 and 6 show constructional details of the shuttles. Figure 5 shows the box formed of two pieces of sheet metal 35, 35, hinged at 36 and which are clasped together by the lips opposite to the hinge.

The hanks 37, Figure 6, of flat shape, are inserted in the box, the end of thethrcaiil 3T unwinds therein passing through the lid 38, Figure 7, upon which is mounted the thread breaking alarm device which also serves to keep the thread in tension.

This arrangement consists of a stirrup 39 listed to the lid 33 in whose slit 39 slides a bridge 40 drawn towards 38 by a spring 41 of slightly lower strei'igth than the breaking load of the thread.

The end 3'? of the hank passes through suitable slits provided in the members 38, 40 and and is engaged with the bridge to and two springs 40, with sufficient friction to maintain the threads stretched between the feeder 16 and the shuttle, and also extend the spring all so that the bridge all does not establish contact between the terminals 4-2 of an electric circuit. Should a warp thread (the end 3'?" break, the bridge closes the circuit between the wires 42 of a relay (not shown) which in turn closes the circuit of an electromagnetic arrang ment (not shown) for stopping the machine. These magnetically operated devices are outsideof the loom.

All the shuttles are providiwl with the arrangement described and a sii'uilar arrangement may be applied to the bobbin m If the electric current: necessary for the working of the electro-magneis of the sai'civ arrangement is not supplied from a mail: it may be suitably derived from one or more batteries or accumulators 4-3 arranged within the machine.

bijru return to between this and the screw shaft 15';

1, samba 0' slots are formedalong the length off the unember 9 issuitably connected to such wheelarrangementhytheflangcd wint 4a;

" larplay betw'eenthe' parts so that whenput in motion the driving"arrangement is not put into mo'vemen't until the rotating mem- 360 ber alias-traversed an aroequal' to a; being the number of bobbins 10. The driving arrangement may be omittedand a batten. of suitable construction employed in its place, Figures 15' and 16, which sinnultaneously advances and beats up the fabric.

In the example illustrated in Figure 15 the batten consists'ofa series of combs 80 arranged" around the cylindrical portion where the ran-ms woven andprovidedwith rods 81- (traversing platform'Q) whiclr are themselves" provided with pusher rods 82 acted upon by a" cam 83that' lowers them success" 'ely, compressingthe spring 84.

AI regulating screw 8'5 limits the travel of each combandin order'to' avoid stressing of the pusherrods these are connected. to a ro'd82by a' spring 86' much more powerful than the spring 843 In Figure lt 'the spring'87 always tends to lowerthecomb 'While -th'e'iea'm 83"011 account of its sectoi"'83"'maintains it a'ised, only allowing it'to be low'ere'dwhen it pass es over the gap 83'.

Referringsto Figs. 19 an'dQO that show on a larger scale a perspectivefront'view and an elevation of'the operating means for "the warp carriers. The shuttle supports 27 are divided intofour groups, 27 27 andLT (Fig; 2) which correspond'to the beams 31 3'1 31 and31 and-the rollers 32, 32 32 and 32 a-rrangedin foursuper posed'rows, while 33 33 3'3 and 83" are the return rollers all'otwhich are arranged 1n the. same plane.

ii'ccording-to the design o'f the fabric to be made teeth 13 are arranged in a pre-de termined order at the ends ofthe short arms 100", 100 1001 and 100', fast with the supports 11' in the: planes ofrollers 32 32 32Hrnd 32". The teeth 13 are fixed to the end of the longer arm 100 in the plane of the return rollers 33 33- 33 and 3'3".

In the example shown, in one support 11 of the thread'guidell the teeth 13 are secured to the arms 100' and 100 in the next arms 1'00 and: 100*, and s so andac-tuated b'v a cam 60 fast-with'a rotat= support the teeth '3 will. be fixed to the on alternatively for 'the othen sul' portsfl.

- In Figs. 19and 20the tooth 12-3 fixed to theiarm l00 has-lowered the roller82;and the tooth'13 fixed to the arm 100 isabout to lowerthe roller 32 Assupport 11 con tinues its moVe-n'ient in the'directionof the arrow, the tooth 13 of the arm 100" lowers roller 32 and-the fixedtooth 13 by striking against the'roller 33" returns the roller- 32 to its original position;

Owing to'thismovement, the support 27 will" be lifted, bringing'thewarp carrieror shuttle: to the fork 27 of the-upper platform 3, while fork 27 lowered to the platform 7 releasing the warp carrier in fork 27'? mounted in the opposite platforn'i The-next supportll will likewise act on rollers 3f and 32 Similar controlling means are provided for the forks-27 mounted on the platform 3, the motion of the said forks being alternated with that of the forks 27 on the platform 6.

By suitably adjusting or changing the teeth 13 or their number'along the-several supports 11 the shuttles are selectively 1noved so-that a-greatvariety of fancy fabrics may be obtained.

A continuous exchange of warp carriers then takes place between the uppera-nd lom er mechanisms causing the threadsof the warp carriers (the e-nd ofthe threads having been previously fiX'edto the fabric feeder 16) forming the warp to cross the threads from the bobbins 10' (carried by the thread guides 12, one guide being provided for each weft thread) forming the weft Figure 10 and the following figures show a variation relatingtothedi'iving mechanism by which the equivalent exchange movements of the sh'uttls are obtained by different means.

These modifications consist of a circular platform inwhic'h are one'or severalcircular housing crowns 51 eachof which contains'a' shuttle 52 held by spring pads '53 and 54', the s n'ing'pads M'being actuated" by an annular cam 55 which mayalso boot segmental shape and whose"projections bear on the pads- 54 forcingtheni' against the shuttle v I The' platforni 50 is surmounted by ahol low" platform" 56 in" which are arranged moving sectors 56" (each of' which is provided with a certain number of housmgs 51 similar to the housingslii an'dprovided with pads 53) together forming a platform corresponding to the platform 50.

Each sector is connected by a rod 57 to bent lever- 58-piyoted to the p'latfornree' ing member 119;

This latter, similar in shape and function to the rotating member S) previously dc scribed, carries at each arm 111 a thread guide 12 supplied from a bobbin 10.

The arms 111 carry at their end projections 113 and 113 for balancing the beam (31 which actuatcs the annular cam by means of the lever 62.

The working of this loom is lVhen the rotating member 11$) is in movement the cam fast with it acts successively upon the bent levers 58 which causes the sectors to be lowered one after the other into contact with the platform 50 after which they return to their riginal position by the action of the sprin ll hen a sector comes into er genient with the platform the shuttles which are contained in either the sector or the plat form pass into the empty housing so that when the sector again rises it leaves the shuttles gripped by the s mg pads 54 and carries with them the others .7 r ained by the spring pads 53.

It is evident that as the annular cam 55 rotates the pads 54 successively come under compression causing a regular exchange of the shuttles. I

Rotation of the cam is produced by the levers 62 keyed to the shaft 63 caused to re tate by means of the arm 61 at its other end Vi hen a sector 56 is in its lowered position the tooth 118 of the arm 111 encounters a beam 61 and causes it to rock displacing the cam thus releasing the retained shuttles so that the sector rises drawing with it the free shuttles during which the tooth 13 strikes against he beam 61 bringing it back to its original position. 7

An alternative method for securing the shuttles by an electromagnetic arrangement may be used consisting of a series of electromagnets 70, Figure 18, arranged so as to correspond with the housings 51 and in place of the pads 53 and 5%. A commutator 71 upon which rub the brushes 72 supplles the said magnets with current in an order determined by the relative position of the brushes and by the shape and arrangement of the contacts thus replacing the action of the cams 55.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic circular loom comprising spaced discs, movable warp thread shuttle supports in each disc arranged in pairs facing each other and arranged in 'a plurality of circular series, a slmttle for each pair of supports and adjustable means for selectively moving the supports of one disc toward their corresponding supports in the opposite disc and vice versa.

2. An automatic circular loom comprising spaced discs, movable warp thread shuttle supports in each disc arranged in pairs facing each other and arranged in a as follows:

plurality of circular series, a shuttle for each pair of supports, adjustable means for selectively moving the supports of one disc to- 'ard their corresponding supports in the opposite disc and means for holding the shuttle in its support in one disc until its corresponding support in the opposite disc begins its return movement and vice versa.

3. Auton'iatic circular loom comprising in combination, fork-shaped supports for the shuttles of the warp threads arranged in one or more circular series on the opposed faces of discs spaced from one another, a parallelogram system fpr each support for imparting an alternating motion to the supports, beams for actuating the parallelogram system each provided with an operating roller and a return roller, operating teeth and return teeth mounted in the turning supports of the thread-guides for the weft and co-operating with the rotation of the threadguides and successively with operating and ieturn rollers, respectively, for lifting and lowering the supports for the above said shuttle, means for withholding the shuttles of the warp threads in the support of one disc, until the corresponding support of the other disc begins its return motion, and means for stopping the loom when a weft or warp thread breaks.

4-. Automatic circular loom comprising in combination movable supports for the shuttles of the warp threads, arranged in one or more circular series on the opposed faces of discs spaced from one another, a parallelogram system for each support for imparting an alternating motion to the supports, beams for actuating the parallelogram systems, each provided with an operating roller and a return roller, the operating rollers being divided into one or more groups .rranged in horizontal superposed planes, while the return rollers are arranged on one horizontal plane only, operating teeth and return teeth mounted in the turning supports of the thread-guides for the weft and cooperating with the rotation of the threadguides and successively with the operating and return rollers respectively, for lifting and lowering the supports of the shuttles for the warp threads, the operating rollers being movable and capable of being fixed in correspondence with one of the planes on which the operating rollers are arranged, for varying the succession of the motion of the shuttles for the warp threads, means for withholding the shuttles for the warp threads in the support of one disc, until the corresponding support of the other disc begins its return motion, and means for stopping the loom when a weft or warp thread breaks.

5. In an automatic circular loom, two circular sets of warp shuttle supports, the sup-- ports one set arranged opposite those of the other set, means to operate said supports to transfer warp shuttles from one set to the other comprising means to positively move the supports to transfer their shuttles and means to positively retract the supports, supporting arms rotating with respect to said means and teeth carried by said arms to operate the transfer means, and a tooth on each arm coming into operation after the transfer has been effected to actuate said retracting means.

6. Automatic circular loom comprising in combination fork-shaped movable housings for the warp thread shuttles, arranged in one or more circular series on the opposed faces of fixed discs spaced from one another, means for mechanically displacing in a predetermined succession the housings on one plane towards the corresponding housings on.

the other and vice versa, shuttles in the form of flat boxes vertically mounted in a radial direction in the housings; lugs on the opposed sides of each shuttle for engaging the fork branches and adapted to co-operate with resilient teeth secured to the discs for retaining the shuttle, when this is released by the fork on its return motion, and means for stopping the loom, when a warp or weft thread breaks.

7. Automatic circular loom comprising in combination, movable supports for the shuttles of the warp threads. arranged in one or more circular series on the opposed faces of fixed platforms spaced from one another; means for mechanically displacing in a predetermined succession the supports of one platform towards the corresponding supports on the other platform and vice versa; means for retaining the shuttles for the warp threads in the supports on one disc, when the corresponding support on the other disc begins its return motion, and means for stopping the loom, when a warp or weft thread breaks, comprising bridges mounted on the shuttles for the warp threads and on the bobbins for the weft threads, respectively, and provided with friction springs between which passes the Warp thread and the weft thread, respectively, and which tend to keep the bridge at a distance from two contacts placed in the electric cir cuit for stopping the loom, against the action of one or more springs tending to establish contact by means of the bridge between the contacts or terminals.

8. In an automatic circular loom, two circular sets of warp shuttle supports, the supports of one set arranged opposite those of the other set, lazy tong mechanisms to operate the supports, actuating levers for said mechanisms arranged at different levels whereby the sets are separated into a plurality of series, a retracting means on each lever, supporting arms rotating past said levers and retracting means, and one or more teeth in each arm arranged to operate said retracting means after its support has transferred its shuttle.

'9. Automatic circular loom comprising in combination movable supports forthe shuttles for the warp threads arranged in one, or more circular series of discs spaced from one another facing one another, means for mechanically displacing in apredetermined succession the supports of a disc towards the corresponding supports and vice versa, means for withholding the shuttle of the warp threads in the support of one disc, until the corresponding supports of the other disc begins its return motion, means for stopping the loom when a weft or warp thread breaks, and a fabric feeder formed of a battery con sisting of a series of combs actuated by cams against the action of springs, the travel of each comb being connected to the corresponding comb by a spring more powerful than the said former spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name.

LUIGI BRUNO. 

